Printing mechanism



J. F. JIROUSEK 2,495,261

PRINTING MECHANISM Jan. 24, 1950 Filed March 29, 1942; a Shets-Sheet 1 ITEM INVENTOR.

. JOSEPH FJIROUSEK ATTORNEYS Jan. 24; 1950 J. F. JIROUSEK PRINTING MECHANISM 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 29, 1943 INVENTOR. ,JOSEPH F. JlROUSEK ATTORNEYS Jan. 24, 1950 J. F. JIROUSEK 2,495,261

PRINTING-MECHANISM Filed March 29,1943 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. JOSEPH F. JIROUSEK M, QMA/Qaq ATTORNEYS Jan. 24, 1950 J|RQU$EK 2,495,261

PRINTING MECHANISM Filed March 29, 1945 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

JOSEPH F. J l ROUSEK oawhdammwsw,

ATTORNEYS Jan. 24, 1950 J, JIRQUSEK 2,495,261

I PRINTING MECHANISM Filed March'29, 1943 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

JOSEPH F.JIROUSEK MJJWM q Qa ATTORNEYS Jan. 24, 1950 J. F. JIROUSEK 2,495,261

PRINTING MECHANISM Filed March 29, 1943 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR. JOSEPH mmousex ATTORNEYS Jan. 24, 1950 Filed March 29, 1945 J. F. JIROUSEK PRINTING MECHANISM 8 Sheets-Sheet '7 uuunuunuununjug INVENTOR.

'TGSEPH F. JIROUSEK Patented Jan. 24, 1950 PRINTING MECHANISM Joseph F. Jirousek, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to The Chandler & Price Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application March 29, 1943, Serial No. 480,884

11 Claims.

The present improvements relating as indicated to printing mechanism, have more particular regard to printing presses of the so-called bed and cylinder type wherein the type form is carried on a reciprocaile bed and the sheet of paper or other material to be printed is carried by a cylinder mounted so as to have rolling contact with such form, said cylinder being adapted to receive and retain a sheet of paper or like material which is pressed against the form upon reciprocation of the latter.

One construction of such bed and cylinder type of printing press which has been commercially manufactured and used for a number of years past is illustrated in U. S. Patent No.

1,774,272 to H. Honigmann, dated August 26,

1930. As illustrated in the printing press of such patent, it has been usual in this type of press to rotate the cylinder inone direction during the sheet receiving and printing operation and then to discharge the sheet upon reversal of such direction of rotation of the cylinder. Thisv arrangement necessarily involves having the sheet feeding mechanism located at one side of the cylinder, i. e. at one end of the machine regarded as a whole, and the sheet delivery mechanism at the other side. Since in addition to sheet feeding and delivery mechanism the press necessarily requires suitable inking mechanism for inking the form carried by the reciprocating bed, the foregoing arrangement involves superposing either such sheet feedin mechanism or. such delivery mechanism over the inking mechanism, the latter being the relation illustrated in the cited patent. Accordingly, in order to get at the inking mechanism for replenishing the fountain, or other purpose, it is necessary first to remove the superposed sheet handling device.

One principal object of the present invention, accordingly, is so to arrange and constructthe sheet feeding and delivery mechanisms in a printing press of the bed and cylinder type that said mechanisms may both be located on the same side of the cylinder, thus leaving'the latter open on its opposite side so that not only may,

such cylinder be readily accessible for such attention in the way of adjustment of parts and the like as may be required, but the inking mechanism for inking the type form on the bed may also be located on such side and be equally accessible for the purposes above indicated.

Incidentally to the foregoing, the sheet is taken from the cylinder while the latter is rotatingin the same direction as during the printing operation proper, i. e. before reverse rotation of the cylinder begins. Accordingly, the direction of movement of the sheet is not reversed but the same edge continues as the forward edge throughout its path of travel through the press.

Other objects accomplished by the present improvements include simplification of the driving mechanismfor the press parts, including such reciprocating bed and rotating cylinder. At

means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but' one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a printing press embodying my present im rovements;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same as viewed from the opposite direction to that of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the right hand end of the press as viewed in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but on a somewhat larger scale and with the sheet delivery mechanism omitted;

Fig. 4a. is a sectional view of a detail, the plane of the section being indicated by the line tar-4a, Fig. 4;

Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section of the mechanism shown in Figs. 3 and i as indicated bythe line 55 on said figures respectively;

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional View on the same plane as that of Fig. 5 but on a still larger scale and showing only the bed and cylinder with the immediately adjacent portions of the sheet feeding. and delivery mechanisms, said cylinder being thus shown in. sheet receiving position;

Fig. '7 is a sectional view similar to that of Fig. 6 but showing the cylinder in sheet delivery position;

Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional View taken at right angles to that of Fig. 5 as indicated by line 8-8 on said figure and on Fig. 3;

Fig. 9 is a broken side elevation of a portion of the'sheet delivery mechanism viewed from the same side as in Fig. 2 but on a somewhat larger scale; 1

Fig. 10 is a transverse section of such mechanism taken on a plane indicated by the line Iii-ii! Fig. 9; and

Fig. ll is a view similar to Fig. 10 but showing a different position of parts.

By way of general identification of the component parts of my improved printing press as illustrated in the aforesaid drawings (see particularly Figs. 1 and 2), such press comprises a main frame A which will conveniently take the form a hollow rectangular casting or box-like structure. In the top of such frame is reciprocably mounted the bed E which carries the type lerm, and over the latter is in turn supported the cylinder C which carries the sheet during the printing operation. Likewise mounted on top of said bed A to one side of said cylinder is the inking mechanism D while at the other side of said cylinder are mounted the sheet'feeding mechanism E and th sheet delivery mechanism F. Associated with such sheet feeding mechanism is an elevated table G which is adapted to carry a pile of the sheets to be fed to the machine, and associated with such delivery mechanism is a similar table H (shown in dotted outline only on Fig. 1) to which the printed sheets are delivered, such table being depressed as table G is elevated.

The several component mechanisms which thus enter the construction of my improved printing press, including the means for operating the same in proper unison or sequence as the case may be, will now be described in detail.

The power for such operation, except for suction producing means which will be described later, is derived from a main shaft l transversely mounted in the bed A of machin adjacent the right hand end thereof as viewed in Fig. 1, such shaft being driven by an electric motor 2 through a belt 3 or other suitable means as desired. Journalled in the main frame directly below shaft I is a second shaft ll which is connected therewith through gears 5 and which in addition to certain cams presently to be described car ies a crank 6. The latter is in turn connected by means of a link 7 with the upper end of a lever 8 that is pivotally attached at its lower end to the frame and connected in turn by a link 9 with the lower end of a double arm lever II). The .1

upper end of lever i is connected by a linkv II with the under side of the bed B which upon oscillation of said lever will be correspondingly reciprocated back and forth in the upper plane of frame A. Preferably as shown in Fig. 5, said bed is supported on rollers l2 or like friction reducing means. This bed will carry on its upper face the type form, not shown, which is assembled and secured thereto in the usual manner.

It will be noted that in my present improved construction, in contradistinction to the press of the previously cited Honigmann patent, the stroke of the press remains unchanged, i. e. does not require to be varied. Ther is accordingly no need for any adjustment in the operating parts, just described.

A rotary type air pump I is housed in the lower part of the main frame A, being driven by a motor [6 through belt H. The intake of said pump is connected to a manifold l8 wherewith the several suction devices that form part of the sheet feeding and delivery mechanisms respectively may be connected, and there is also connected with the exhaust of said pump a line L! which serves to provide a jet or blast of air at desired points in connection with said mechanisms, all as will be later described.

The cylinder C which, as hereinbe-fore indicated, constitutes along with bed B the printing couple, is mounted on a shaft 28, the ends of which are journalled in boxes 2| that project upwardly from the sides of main frame A and thus serve to support said cylinder in position to contact with the bed B as the latter is reciprocated.

Said cylinder C (see Figs. 5, 6 and 7) is in effeet a hollow drum with a smooth exterior surface save for recesses 22 in which are received the clamping devices 24 which serve to secure the usual tympan 25 in taut condition on the sheet carrying portion of the cylinder. In addition, said recesses serve to receive a corresponding number of gripper fingers 26, the outer edges of which project over the adjacent edges of the sheet carrying portion of the cylinder to grip thereto a sheet of paper when properly placed thereon. These gripper fingers are fixedly mounted on a rock shaft 2'! journalled in the cylinder body and are normally held in such sheet gripping position by means of associated compression springs 28. However, an arm 29 mounted on one end of the shaft 2'! and lying without the corresponding end of the cylinder is so disposed that its free end, which is equipped with a roller 30, will engage with a cam 3! attached to the juxtaposed face of the corresponding box 2! as the cylinder is rotated.

Such rotation of the cylinder C, which obviously should be in unison with the reciprocating movement of bed B, is obtained through the provision of a gear 35 on one end of the cylinder which engages with an upwardly projecting rack 36 on a corresponding side of the bed. Accordingly, as the latter is moved back and forth through the means previously described, the cylinder will be rotated first in one direction and then the other.

However, contact of the cylinder with the bed or its tyrnpan-carrying face will be desired only during rotation in such one direction, viz. in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 5, 6 and 7. Accordingly, the ends of the shaft 20 are not directly journalled in the boxes 2| but in eccentric bushings 31 which are in turn journal ed in the boxes. By simultaneously oscillating the eccentric bushings 37 wherein the respective ends of shaft 20 are thus journalled, the latter will be raised or lowered as the case may be and this movement is produced in unison with the movement of the bed by suitable connections between said bushings and the operating shaft 4. These connections (see Figs. 1 and 2) include an arm 38 on each such bushing which is connected by means of a link 39 with arms 4B carried by a rock shaft 4|. The latter on the one side of the machine (that illustrated in Fig. 2) is in effect a bell crank, the other arm of which is connected by means of a link 42 with a lever 43 that has roller bearing contact with a cam 44 on said shaft 4.

From the description previously given, each revolution of said shaft A serves to impart one complete reciprocation to bed B. and the foregoing link and lever connections between said shaft and the eccentric bushings 31 are so arranged as to lower cylinder (3 into contacting position with the bed, or rather the type thereon, as such bed reaches the limit of its movement to the right as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, and to raise said cylinder out of such contact as said bed reaches the limit of its movement to the left, as illustrated in Fig. 7. Immediately following the lowering of the cylinder thus into contact with the bed, the shaft 2'5 which carries said gripping fingers 26 will be actuated to close said fingers, and at or about the time such cylinder is raised said shaft 21 will be actuated to release said fingers, from engagement with the sheet which they are designed to hold in place on the of the inking rollers 52, but the mechanism as a whole, with the exception of such last mentioned rollers, may be bodily swung upwardly with parallel links 53 and 54 so that upon the further removal of said rollers 52 from their mountings the form on the reciprocable bed of the press is rendered conveniently accessible. In such case it will be understood that the bed is moved to its furthest position toward the left of main frame A, as viewed in Fig. 1, the position of the bed in this figure being its starting position, i. e. that where the sheet to be printed is fed by mechanism E to the cylinder, as will be now de- 1 scribed.

As previously noted, the sheets are carried (as a stack S) on feed table G which is supported for vertical movement in a bracket 50 at the end of the main frame opposite that on which inking mechanism D is mounted, Manually operable means 6| are provided for raising and lowering said feed table, and means (not shown) will also be provided for automatically raising the same at a rate corresponding to the rate of I removal of sheets from the stack S.

The top of said stack is desirably maintained at a level somewhat above the plane of the reciprocable type-carrying bed B, and the sheet feeding conveyor E will accordingly slope downwardly from such first-mentioned level substan tially to the line of contact of the printing cylinder with the bed, or rather the form, carried by the latter, as shown in Fig. 5. Said conveyor E comprises a suitably supported feed board in the form of a plate 65 provided with transversely disposed rollers 66 and 61 at its respective ends, around which rollers pass a series of parallel spaced belts or tapes 68. Pivotally mounted above the plate 65 so as to contact with the sheet carried down the latter by tapes 68 at transversely spaced points are brushes 69 and-rollers 10. Other rollers H mounted on a shaft 12 located directly above tape roller 66 are disposed to receive a sheet as it is lifted from the stack S and fed onto the tapes of said conveyor E. These particular parts of the feed mechanism, as well as the sucker tips 80 mounted over the feed table in position to engage and lift the forward edge of the uppermost sheet on stack S, are all ar ranged and operate in much the same manner as corresponding parts in the feeding mechanism which forms the subject matter of my Patent No. 2,284,429, dated May 26, 1942. It will be noted, however, that said sucker tips 80 are carried by plungers 8| mounted for vertical reciprocable movement in a bracket 82, such movement being imparted to said plungers through a pin and slot connection between said plungers' and a lever 83 which is in turn actuated through engagement of a cam 84 on a transverse shaft 85 with a roller 86 on said lever 83.

Shaft 85 carries a second cam 90 which through a roller 9| and link connection 92serves to impart a slight reciproc'atory movement in a .horizontal direction to bracket 82. This movement in'a rearward direction, 1. e. to the right as viewed in Fig. 5, is timed to take place immediately following depression of the sucker tips into engagement with the sheet and asthey start to lift carrying the sheet with them. Associated with each sucker tip is a finger 93 oscillatorily supported by a shaft 94 from which said fingers project forwardly toward the corresponding sucker tips. Rocking action is imparted to shaft 94-to depress said fingers 93 as the forward edge of the sheet is thus lifted by the sucker tips, with the result that a buckling effect on the sheet is produced which ensures disengagement thereof from the underlying sheet and facilitates the forward movement of the sheet into engagement with tape 65, such forward movement being produced by reciprocatory movement of bracket in the opposite direction to that described above.

Suitable connections iilll in part consisting-of piping and in part of flexible tubing lead from pump l 8'to the respective sucker tips 80 Whereby suction may be applied thereto at proper times in the cyclic operation of the press. The shaft is rotated in proper unison with the movement of other parts of the press by means of a sprocket and chain connection I [H (see Fig. 1).

Similarly, shaft 94 is oscillated at the proper time by means of a link and lever connection I02 (see same fig- I06 carried by the cross support HI and which are designed topress lightly on the upper surface of the sheet. Also associated with said guides are other stop fingers I01 carried by a stationary bar (not shown) supported on the frame, the outer ends llila. of these fingers being bent upwardly so as to engage the forward edge of the sheet as it is fed downwardly between said fingers I05 and I86, when the plate or feed board 65 is in its lower position, as will b presently described. Such "upturned ends of fingers ill? accordingly serve as gauge pins so as to insure accurate location of the sheet prior to the engagement of the forward edge thereof by the grippers on the cylinder.

It should be explained that feed board 65 is oscillatorily'supported at its upper end about the shaft that carries roller 66, and at a line removed a short distance from its lower end it is further supported on transversely spaced eccentrics or cams I09 on a rock shaft "19a. The latter is j'ournalled in vertically adjustable bearings ill9b whereby the lower end of the board, and thus the lower end of a sheet being fed, may be accurately aligned with the grippers on the cylinder when said shaft with its cams are rotated to raise the lower end of the board. Such lifting movement of the board at the same time serves to clear the loweredge of the sheet of engagement with the upturned ends of fingers I01, that serve as gauge pins, as just described.

' Rocking of the shaft l09a with its cams, to produce the action just described, is effected at properly timed intervals by means of a lever "19c on one end of such shaft (see Fig. 2) and a link H1901 which connects said lever with rocker 40, which latter, as previously described, is actuated by a cam on the main cam shaft 4 of the machine. In order to insure against displacement of -the sheet as it is disengaged from the gauge pins IIl'Ia during the brief interval that the lower end of feed board 65 is raised to present the sheet for engagement by the grippers on the cylinder, I provide a series of suction fingers (see Figs. 4 and 4a). Each of these consists of a tubular arm with an opening on the under face thereof near its outer end, such arms being mounted on and communicating with a transverse tubular support III to which suction is applied at properly timed intervals through a suction producing device presently to be described. The ends of the support II I are carried in suitable brackets Illa that project upwardly from feed board 65, at each side thereof. It will be understood that the suction fingers IIEl do not operate in any way to transport the sheet but merely serve briefly to ,holdthe latter against displacement when the sheet is disengaged from gauge pins IU'Ia. The sheet passes so closely beneath the tips of such suction fingers that the application of suction to such fingers is sufficient to insure that the sheet will be gripped and held.

To insure accurate location of the sheet transversely of the cylinder a pair of longitudinally reciprocable shafts I I5 and I I5a are provided respectively above and below said shaft III. Each of said reciprocable shafts is provided with a depending finger IIS adjustable therealong, one or the other being positioned so that upon reciprocation of the corresponding shaft such finger will be brought into contact with the corresponding edge of the sheet that is being fed to the cylinder and so shift such sheet to occupy a predetermined position transversely of the latter. It will be understood that only one such finger will be employed at a time, depending upon whether the sheet is to be registered with respect to its right or left side, having regard to its direction of travel down the feed conveyor. Said shafts H5 and I I5a are normallyv positioned so as to retain whichever finger is thus at the time not being employed out of engagement with the sheet by means of compression springs II! at their respective ends (see Fig. 4). Shafts H5 and II5a are mounted in the same brackets I I Ia. which carry tubular member HI. Link and lever connections II3 operate to scillate member II3a to reciprocate shaft II5a. Since shaft i We is connected to shaft I I5 by lever -II2,-shaf-t I I5 will be oppositely reciprocated thereby.

Lever H2 is pivotally supported intermediate its ends to afford such opposite reciprocatory ac tion of the two shafts.

As best shown in Figs. 3 and 8, the table H onto :which the sheets are delivered following the printing operation, is located to one side of the feed table G. Said delivery table H, like feed table G, is supported for vertical movement in a "bracket I extending laterally from the main .frame A of the machine, and manually operable means I2I are provided for raising and lowering said delivery table. Means such as are familiar in th printing press art will also be desirably provided whereby such lowering of the delivery table will be automatically effected in unison with the raising of the feed table. I

The sheet delivery means F proper comprise, first, a conveyor which leads from the upper por- -tion of the cylinder C to a level above the feed table G, and, second, a transversely disposed conveyor at such upper lever which is adapted to receive a sheet from the first conveyor and transfer the same to the delivery table H.

in'thecase of feed conveyor E, the delivery conveyor thus located thereabove comprises a plurality of parallel spaced belts or tapes I25 which are carried by rollers I26 and I21, the former of which is driven by chain and sprocket connections I 28 which interconnect said roller with the drive for roller 66 so that the delivery conveyor will be operated in unison with the feed conveyor. A second chain and sprocket connection I29 is provided with the main drive of the machine, as shown in Fig. 1.

Associated with the lower end of delivery conveyor F is a rock shaft I30, best shown in Figs. 6 and 7, which carries a plurality of stripping fingers I-3I disposed in one position of said shaft to contact with the surface of the cylinder and lift the forward edge of the printed sheet as it is carried around to a point adjacent the lower ends of the conveyor tapes I 25 (see Fig. '7), said fingers normally being raised out of such contact (see Fig. 6). Said shaft I36 is oscillated at the proper intervals thus to bring the fingers I3i into contact with the cylinder by means of a lever I32 on one end thereof (see Fig. 2), actuated by a cam I33 which engages therewith at the proper time once during each revolution of the cylinder C.-

To assist in guiding the sheet as it is lifted by fingers I3I onto the adjacent conveyor tapes I25, each such finger is provided on its upper side with a curved prong I 34, as shown in Figs. 6 and '7, while a floating roller I35 serves to press such sheet edge against the adjacent tape. As shown in the same figures, a second floating roller I36, extending in the opposite direction, is provided so as to .bear against the sheet on the cylinder as it is carried around to delivery position. The arm I31 by which the second roller is carried is desirably of double jointed construction, as shown, with a tension spring I38 connected with the arm.

In their upper extent, 1. e. at the previously mentioned level above the feed table M to which the sheets are delivered 'by conveyor F, the tapes I25 are carried across in a substantially horizontal plane by being passed around supplemental rollers I46, MI and I42, as best shown in Fig. 5. Transversely disposed of the portions of tapes I25 which thus travel in a horizontal plane around said lastmentioned rollers is another series of conveyor tapes I 43 which travel around a plurality of rollers I44 mounted in a vertically reciprocable frame I45. Of such roller I44, certain of those located intermediately of the sides of frame I45 lie above the plane in which others are disposed so that sections of the conveyor tapes which correspond in location with the spaces between tapes 25 are elevated above the remaining portions of said transverse tapes I43. Normally such. elevated portions lie just below the level of the horizontal portions of tapes I25, but upon frame M4 being raised slightly, these portions will be brought into engagement with a sheet resting on said tapes I25, lift the sheet therefrom and convey it to the right, i. e. toward the delivery table H as viewed in Figs. 3 and 8.

The several positions of the tapes I43 just de scribed are shown in Figs. 10 and 11, which, along with Fig. 9, also illustrate the means whereby the rollers I44 which carry said tapes are driven and the means whereby the frame I45 is alternately raised and lowered. The driving means for the tape rollers comprise a sprocket chain I46 which passes around sprockets on selected rollers I44 and by a second sprocket chain M'l which connects one of said rollers with a shaft I48 disposed alongside the frame structure in which the pertion of the sheet deliverymechanism under consideration is carried (see Figs. 2 and 3), said shaft being in turn connected at one end through bevel gears I49 with chain and sprocket drive I28 and at the other end to bevel gears I50with one of the rollers I40 about which the delivery tapes I25 pass in their upper level portions.

Further referring to Figs. 10 and 11, the sides of the frame I45 whereby the transversely travelling conveyor tapesl43 are carried will be seen to be slidably guided in the adjacent superstructure and two spaced cams I5I are arranged to contact withsuch side portion of the frame and upon being rocked to elevate the same. To this end said cams are connected by a link I52 and the one thereof is provided with an arm I 53 wherewith a lever I 54 actuated by a rotary disk cam I55 is adapted to cooperate (see Fig. 9). The cams I5l are normally held in inactive position corresponding with the lower position of the frame.

I45 by means of a tension spring I56. Cam I55 is carried by the same transverse shaft 85 (see Fig. 8) which carries the cams 84 and 90 previously described as operating the suction tips and other parts whereby successive sheets are removed from the stack S on the feed table G.

Said transverse shaft 85 is also utilized to actuate, through the medium of still another cam I65 mounted on the end thereof, a pump ItI (see Figs; 2 and 4) which is connected by means of a hose or flexible duct I62 with the tubular shaft I II that carries the suction fingers I I0 (see Figs. 4 and 4a). Finally, another pair of cams I63 and I64 mounted on such shaft adjacent its opposite end serve respectively to actuate valves I55 and I66 which serve to control, through connections (not shown), the application of suction to the sucker tips 80. In other words; said shaft 85 through the several cams mounted thereon constitutes the principal element in the machine for controlling the several operations whereby the successive sheets are removed from the top of stack S, fed to the feed conveyor E and registered'at the lower end of the latter preliminarily to being seized by the grippers on cylinder C. By proper adjustment of the cams in question, all these operations may accordingly be caused to follow in properly timed sequence.

Guards in the form of light rods or wires I10 and HI are disposed over the inclined and horizontal portions of the delivery conveyor respectively, as shown in Fig. 2. Other similar guards I12 extend from the end of the transverse conveyor over the delivery table H so as to assist in the deposit of the printed sheets onto the latter. Located beneath the path of travel of the sheets as thus delivered to said table H is a gas burner I13 (Figs. 4 and 8) with a reflector I14 therebeneath whereby, if desired, the necessary heat may be provided to dry the ink on the sheet while thus in transit.

The operation of the several component mechanlsms which enter-into my improved printing press'has been described in connection with the description of the construction of such mechanisms and the relation of the latter each to the other has likewise been indicated. The general operation of the press as a whole should accordingly be apparent. Briefly stated, successive sheets are removed from the top of the stack S on feed table G and carried by feed conveyor E to the under side of'the cylinder C adjacent the line of contact thereof with the bed B, when the latter and the cylinder occupy the relative positions shown in Fig. '6. Upon completion of the printing operation the sheet thus fed into one of the angles between said bed and cylinder, while still travelling in the same direction, is stripped from the cylinder and transferred onto the lower end of the inclined portion of delivery conveyor F, by the latter carried to a level above the feed table, and thence transferred to the delivery table. From the foregoing it will be seen that a sheet in the course of its passage through the printing mechanism proper, i. e. until brought to the point where it is thus transferred to the delivery table, moves continuously in the same direction, this being accomplished by both feeding the sheet to and stripping it from the same side of the cylinder.

A already explained, the location of the feed and delivery conveyors in this relation has the further advantage that the inking mechanism, which is necessarily located on the opposite side of the cylinder from the sheet feed conveyor, is left conveniently accessible, and upon being shifted out of operating contact with the bed, leaves the latter likewise conveniently accessible for setting up the form.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the means and the steps herein disclosed, provided those stated by any of the following claims or their equivalent be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. In mechanism of the character described, means for printing sheets in transit between sideby'-side feed and delivery tables, comprising a printing couple having a reciprocable bed for carrying the form and a cylinder intergeared with said bed for carrying the sheet to be printed, a feed table and means to feed such sheet therefrom to said cylinder adjacent the line of contact of said cylinder with said bed, and means located above said sheet feeding means and adapted to take from said cylinder a sheet, conveyor means disposed transversely of said last-named means, and a delivery table to receive a sheet therefrom.

2. In mechanism of the character described, means for printing sheets in transit between sideby-side feed and delivery tables, comprising a printing couple having a reciprocable bed for carrying the form and a cylinder intergeared with said bed for carrying the sheet to be printed, a feed table and a conveyor'leading therefrom to the underside of said cylinder adjacent the line of contact thereof with said bed, a conveyor leading from the upper portion of said cylinder to a level above said feed table, a delivery table located alongside said feed table, and a conveyor disposed at right angles to said last-named conveyor to transfer a sheet received therefrom to said delivery table.

3. In mechanism of the character described, means for printing sheets in transit between sideby-side feed and delivery tables, comprising a printing couple having a reciprocable bed for carrying the form and a cylinder intergeared with said bed for carrying the sheet to be printed, a feed .table and a conveyor leading therefrom to the underside of said cylinder adjacent the line of contact thereof with said bed, a plurality of spaced parallel conveyor belts leading from the upper portion of said cylinder to a level above said feed table, and a plurality of conveyor belts traveling transversely of said first-named belts and movable into and out of engagement with a sheet resting thereon at such upper level.

4. In mechanism of the character described, means for printing sheets in transit between sideby-side feed and delivery tables, comprising a printing couple having a reciprocable bed for carrying the form and a cylinder intergeared with said bed for carrying the sheet to be printed, a feed table and a conveyor leading therefrom to the underside of said cylinder adjacent the line of contact thereof with said bed, a plurality of spaced parallel conveyor belts leading from the upper portion of said cylinder to a level above said feed table, and a plurality of conveyor belts traveling transversely of said first-named belts and having raised portions corresponding with the spaces between said first-named belts and movable into and out of engagement with a sheet resting thereon at such upper level.

5. In mechanism of the character described, means for printing sheets in transit between sideby-side feed and delivery tables, comprising a printing couple having a reciprocable bed for carrying the form and a cylinder intergeared with said bed for carrying the sheet to be printed, a feed table and a conveyor leading therefrom to the underside of said cylinder adjacent the line of contact thereof with said bed, a plurality .of spaced parallel conveyor belts leading from the upper portion of said cylinder to a level above said feed table, and a plurality of conveyor belts traveling transversely of said first-named belts and having raised portions corresponding with the spaces between said first-named belts, and means adapted bodily to raise and lower said transverse conveyor belts, whereby such raised portions thereof may be alternately brought into and out of contact with a sheet resting on said first-named belts at such upper level.

6. In combination with a printing couple comprising a reciprocable bed for carrying the form and a cylinder intergeared with said bed for carrying the sheet to be printed; a sheet-feeding conveyor extending downwardly into one of the angles between said bed and cylinder; sheet-supporting fingers extending beyond the lower end of said conveyor; resilient members to press against a sheet thereon; stops associated with said fingers adapted to engage and register a sheet supported thereon; and separate means adapted to engage and hold such sheet after being thus registered.

7. In combination with a printing couple comprising a reciprocable bed for carrying the form and a cylinder intergeared with said bed for carrying the sheet to be printed; a sheet-feeding conveyor extending downwardly into one of the angles between said bed and cylinder; sheet-supporting fingers extending beyond the lower end of said conveyor; resilient members to press against a sheet thereon; stops associated with said fingers adapted to engage and register a sheet supported thereon; separate means adapted to engage and hold such sheet after being thus registered; and means adapted periodically to raise the lower end of said conveyor to disengage such sheet from such last-named fingers.

8. In combination with a printing couple comprising a reciprocable bed for carrying the form and a cylinder intergeared with said bed for carrying the sheet to be printed; a sheet-feeding conveyor extending downwardly into one of the angles between said bed and cylinder; sheet-supporting fingers extending beyond the lower end of said conveyor; resilient members to press against a sheet thereon; other fingers extending beyond the lower end of the conveyor provided with'stops adapted in one position to engage and register a sheet supported on said first-named fingers; and suction fingers adapted to engage and hold such sheet after being thus registered.

9. In combination with a printing couple comprising a reciprocable bed for carrying the form and a cylinder intergeared with said bed for carrying the sheet to be printed; a sheet-feeding conveyor extending downwardly into one of the angles between said bed and cylinder; sheet-supporting fingers extending beyond the lower end of said conveyor; resilient members to press against a sheet thereon; other fingers extending beyond the lower end of the conveyor provided with stops adapted in one position to engage and register a sheet supported on said first-named fingers; and means adapted periodically to raise the lower end of said conveyor to disengage such sheet from said last-named fingers.

10. In combination with a printing couple comprising a reciprocable bed for carrying the form and a cylinder intergeared with said bed for carrying the sheet to be printed; a sheet-feeding conveyor extending downwardly into one of the angles between said bed and cylinder; sheet-supporting fingers extending beyond .the lower end of said conveyor; resilient members to press against a sheet thereon; other fingers extending beyond the lower end of the conveyor provided with stops adaptedin one position to engage and register a sheet supported on said first-named fingers; suction fingers adapted to engage and hold such sheet after being thus registered; and means adapted periodically to raise the lower end of said conveyor to disengage such sheet from such stops.

11* In mechanism of the character described, means for printing sheets in transit between sideby-side feed and delivery tables, comprising a printing couple having a reciprocable bed for carrying the form and a cylinder intergeared with said bed for carrying the sheet to be printed, a feed table and a conveyor leading therefrom to the underside of said cylinder adjacent the line of contact thereof with said bed, a conveyor leading from the upper portion of said cylinder to a level above said feed table, conveyor means disposed transversely of said last-named conveyor, and a delivery table to receive a sheet from said conveyor means.

JOSEPH F. JIROUSEK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the idle of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 205,357 Cottrell June 25, 1878 545,863 Hopkins Sept. 3, 1895 1,297,443 Cheshire Mar. 18, 1919 1,578,822 Glover Mar. 30, 1926 1,691,656 Kelly Nov. 13, 1928 1,741,848 Kelly Dec. 31, 1929 2,052,526 Broadmeyer Aug. 25, 1936 2,151,838 Buttner Mar. 28,, 1939 2,293,046 Curtis Aug. 18, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 481,064 Germany Aug. 13, 1929 485,773 Germany Nov. 4, 1929 495,307 Germany July 10, 1931 632,004 Germany July 1, 1935 428,032 Great Britain May 3, 1935 

